the "new york times" told me today that charles edward durning was born into poverty in 1923 in highland falls, new york on the hudson river. charles was the ninth of ten children, and five of his sisters died of smallpox or scarlet fever in childhood. three of them died within two weeks. and world war ii. he was in the first wave of troops to land on omaha beach on d-day. he was his unit's only survivor of the war. he was stabbed in hand-to-hand combat. he killed the german soldier who was stabbing him. had to kill him with a brick. when charles durning looked at that dead german he had just killed who seemed no more than 15 years old, he held him in his arms and cried. he was awarded three purple hearts and a silver star. "the times" points out that he avoided discussing his combat service until later in life, but it was for that service that in 2008 france awarded him the national order of the legion of honor. i'm one of the lucky writers who got to write for charles durning. it is not a small group. there are probably at least 300 of us, if you include all of the plays and the televi